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This approach has a problem. Not everything can be relegated to a fixed schedule. For example, I have a friend taking next week off to go eclipse watching. How

This approach has a problem. Not everything can be relegated to a fixed schedule. For example, I have a friend taking next week off to go eclipse watching. How is that accommodated with a mandatory week off every 8.

ceejayoz 9y ago
"Hey, can I swap weeks with so-and-so?" "Sure!"
- thaumasiotes 9y ago
  Not a good response to "I have a friend taking next week off to go eclipse watching. How is that accommodated with a mandatory week off every 8." The eclipse happens at a fixed time; if your model of vacation is that employees are supposed to swap their randomly-scheduled vacations around to get the times they want, you'll immediately notice that there's much more demand than supply for vacation during the eclipse.
  - ceejayoz 9y ago
    The "schedule your own time" model doesn't work any better for that scenario. If 75% of the company wants to go to the eclipse, you're either going to close up shop for the week (like European companies frequently do for vacation) or tell some folks no.
    - thaumasiotes 9y ago
      American companies working on the "schedule your own time" model don't even necessarily close up shop during the week of Christmas, when well over 75% of the company takes vacation. Things are slow, but they're open. Why is that "not any better" than the model where everyone wants to take vacation, but they're not allowed? It seems like an obvious improvement, whether you decide to close for the week or not.
bryanlarsen 9y ago
It's not covered in the article, but it's such an obvious issue that I'm sure they've got a system in place. My guess is simply that you can trade vacation weeks with others, and that they fall back to the traditional system when that doesn't work: whole company shutdown during Christmas, and submit vacation request form at other times. I imagine the main issue Europeans will notice is that a week is pretty short. They're used to real vacations 2-4 weeks long.
J-dawg 9y ago
It actually sounds awful. Imagine having to miss something you were really looking forward to, then spend the following week on enforced leave. It would get old fast.

ceejayoz 9y ago

"Hey, can I swap weeks with so-and-so?" "Sure!"

thaumasiotes 9y ago
Not a good response to "I have a friend taking next week off to go eclipse watching. How is that accommodated with a mandatory week off every 8." The eclipse happens at a fixed time; if your model of vacation is that employees are supposed to swap their randomly-scheduled vacations around to get the times they want, you'll immediately notice that there's much more demand than supply for vacation during the eclipse.
- ceejayoz 9y ago
  The "schedule your own time" model doesn't work any better for that scenario. If 75% of the company wants to go to the eclipse, you're either going to close up shop for the week (like European companies frequently do for vacation) or tell some folks no.
  - thaumasiotes 9y ago
    American companies working on the "schedule your own time" model don't even necessarily close up shop during the week of Christmas, when well over 75% of the company takes vacation. Things are slow, but they're open. Why is that "not any better" than the model where everyone wants to take vacation, but they're not allowed? It seems like an obvious improvement, whether you decide to close for the week or not.

bryanlarsen 9y ago

It's not covered in the article, but it's such an obvious issue that I'm sure they've got a system in place. My guess is simply that you can trade vacation weeks with others, and that they fall back to the traditional system when that doesn't work: whole company shutdown during Christmas, and submit vacation request form at other times. I imagine the main issue Europeans will notice is that a week is pretty short. They're used to real vacations 2-4 weeks long.

J-dawg 9y ago

It actually sounds awful. Imagine having to miss something you were really looking forward to, then spend the following week on enforced leave. It would get old fast.